TW: Self harm, mentions of suicide.

Noah's POV
Love was nothing but a four letter word. Some would say it was simple, but me? Love was a tragedy. The first woman I ever loved walked out on us before I could even talk. Then the second was now buried six feet under after she took her own life three and a half years ago. Now the third one cheated on me with my roommate. Love was anything but simple.

A sigh escaped my lips as I gripped the steering wheel. My Toyota has been my home for the past month. A buzz came from the cell phone that sat in a cup holder. I grabbed it, reading the contact name. It wasn't saved, but I knew exactly who it was.

'Cheating wasn't enough for her she had to go and harass me as well?'

I bite the inside of my cheek. I will not give her the satisfaction of my attention. Before I could retire my phone back to its cupholder, it rang, and I immediately answered.

"Why can't you leave me the hell alone?" I screamed into my phone, only to be met with a deep chuckle.

"Is that any way to talk to your old man?" My father asked, I haven't heard from the guy in three years.

"Sorry, I thought you were someone else." I began laying back in my seat. "Is there anything you need, dad?" I asked, putting emphasis on the last word. My relationship with my father has been complicated, to say the least.

"It's back." father plainly replied.

"What's back?" A lump formed in the back of my throat. "You don't mean?"

"Yes. Come home urgently; we need you." He replied before he hung up. A sigh escaped my lips as I angrily gripped the steering wheel. If it weren't for Lily, I would probably never return home.
~~~~🍋~~~~

Slowly, I pulled up to the driveway to my childhood home. It looked almost the same as it did back then. The only difference was the swing set we had in the front yard was gone and Lily's Lemon sprout was now much bigger. I cut the engine and climbed out; Dad didn't know I was currently living out of my car. As everyone was concerned, I was still in college studying mechanical engineering and dating Jenna. Dad already thinks I'm a deadbeat with no future. If he were to know I dropped out of college, I'd never hear the end of it. But I needed to find some sort of roof over my head.

After letting out an exhale I didn't know I was holding, I knocked loud enough to make my presence known. "Oh Mr. Noah, what a pleasant surprise." The housekeeper greeted me. Dad made good money and was away often, "Your sister is at the Thompson's right now but she should be back soon."

"Actually, I'm here to see my father." I replied as she made an o shape with her mouth. "He said it was urgent."

"Oh yes, of course he's in his study on a zoom call, but should be done any minute now."

I gave her a slight nod and headed inside and made my way to the dining room to wait. The warmth here was sucked out by a vortex. "You're late." Father coldly stated as he entered the dining room ten minutes later.

"What's going on with Lily?" I asked, not wanting to spend more time with this insufferable man than I already had to.

"Her NVAS is back, the; doctors say she only has two months left to live," Father stated coldly. "You should have been here, instead of being selfish doing God knows what."

I bite the inside of my cheek. "It was hard for all of us." I simply replied, not wanting to get into another fight with him.

"You don't know how hard it was, you ran away."

Dad was great at blaming everyone for everything. When mom left, it was my fault for being such a crybaby, I was two. When Lily's mother died, it was Lily's fault but since I was the older brother, the blame was put on me, Lily got diagnosed with Neurovascular Atrophy Syndrome (NVAS) four years ago, it was fatal and there was no cure. "Yes dad, how can I be so foolish." I replied while hiding my hands in my lap as I scratched my wrist the intrusive thoughts ran through my head 'Worthless, deadbeat, waste of space.' I forced a fake smile and pulled down my sleeve, "I'm here for her now, so what do you want me to do?"

"She's insisting on spending her last moments on a summer road trip. I want you to go with her, I already said my goodbyes."

"You're acting like she's already dead. Isn't there something we can do?"

"She doesn't want us to do anything or tell anyone. She just wants this to be her most memorable summer yet." He sighed as he scratched his neck. "So what do you say? Will you drop out of college and do your sister a solid? It's the least you can do for her."

"I'll do it under one condition."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Before you tell me you're disappointed in me, I want to tell you I have been currently living in my car for a month. I dropped out of college two weeks ago after I caught my girlfriend and roommate cheating last month."

"You know, Noah, I never wanted you to move out in the first place. You're always welcome to your room."

"Thanks dad." I sighed with a slight nod.

"I'm gonna go finish my meeting, are you good with settling in by yourself?"

I excused myself, "Yes, that's fine, don't worry about me."

Once I was back outside I leaned against the door and slid down. 'What the absolute hell? How can Lily just decide to die like this? She's only eighteen with her whole life ahead of her, why give up now? Was it because I wasn't there for her?'

My attention landed on the tan house down the block, the Thompson residence. Wallowing in my self pity wasn't going to make Lily better, nor was it going to bring our mother back from the grave. The least I can do is spend the rest of the time we have left with her, with my little sister.